Combined lamp shade and socket for elongated tubular lamps



Nov. 7, 1950 2,529,122

V. I. ZELOV COMBINED LAMP SHADE AND SOCKET FOR ELONGATED TUBULAR LAMPS Filed March 12, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 h O C 1- ,21

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INVHVTOR. T R I. ZELm/ Arr-042M534 ZEQILOV w COMBINED LAMP SHADE AND socxm FOR ELONGATED TUBULAR LAMPS Nov. 7, 1950.

.2 Sheets-'Sheet Filed March 12, 1948 Via Tog I. ZELDV ATITOEUEK Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE] COMBINED LAMI SHADE AND SOCKET FOR ELONGATED TUBULAR LAMPS Victor I. Zelov, Rosemont, Pa.

Application March 12, 1948, Serial No. 14,582

- 4. Claims. 1 I

This invention relates to electrical devices, more particularly to electrical lighting fixtures, and has for an object to provide improved apparatus of this character.

Heretofore, in the design and manufacture of lighting fixtures for use of elongated bulbs or tubes having pairs of contact prongs projecting beyond the ends thereof, for example, fluorescent light bulbs or-"tubes, it has been customary to provide a multi-part socket of insulating material for reception of the pair of prongs on the tube. Such sockets comprise not only the plurality of parts of insulating material, but also a pair of metallic contact elements, screws for connecting wires to the contact elements, and one or more fastening devices for securing together the several parts of the insulating material forming the socket member, with the contact elements and their associated parts assembled therein. In addition, means must be provided for securing the assembled socket to the shade, reflector, or other structure housing the light bulb or tube. V I

The present invention provides a simplified substitution for the above-described complicated arrangement, involving a bulb or tube shade or housing of insulating material, with one or more ends of the housing so constructed and shaped as to constitute, in itself, either the entire contact socket, or a portion thereof.

Where the housing defines onl a portion of the socket, the invention provides a single member cooperating therewith to complete the socket and to provide the means for connecting wires to the metallic contact members housed in the socket.

Accordingly, another object of the invention is to provide a one-piece combination bulb or tube housing and contact socket.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a lamp bulb or tube shade or housing having an end wall shaped to cooperate with a partial socket member to define with the latter a complete socket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp shade which functions also as a socket for the lamp or bulb it shades.

A further object of the invention i's'to provide novel means for connecting wires to their electrical contact elements.

Another object of the invention is means, integral with a combined lamp shade and socket, for supporting and retaining a reflector within the shade.

These and other objects are efiected by the 2 invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in accordance with the accompanyin drawings, forming a part of this application, andin which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a bed lamp incorporating novel features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the bed lamp shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 .is an enlarged, fragmentary, top plan view of the structure shown in Figspl and 2, with the top or cover portion of the shade removed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken along the line IVIV of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View, taken along the line VV of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view, taken along the line VIVI of Fig. 1, lookingin the direction indicated by the arrows;" i

Fig. 7 is an enlarged top plan View of a key member which serves to retain the wires in engagement with the metallic contact elements;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, bottom plan view of one end of a shade and socket of another form, constructed in accordance wit the present invention;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional View, taken along the line IXIX of Fig. 8, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view, taken along the line XX of Fig. 8, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, the socket being omitted in the interest of clarity;

Fig. 11 is an inner end view of the socket, taken along the line XIXI of Fig. 8, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken along the line XII-XII of Fig. 11, lookin in the direction indicated by the arrows; and,

Fig. 13 is an outer end view of the socket, separate from the shade structure.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, and particularly to Sheet One thereof, the reference character In indicates, in its entirety, a fluorescent bed lamp comprising a cover H having a pair of arms 12 projecting rearwardly therefrom and terminating in downwardlyextending portions 13, by which the lamp may be supported on the headboard of a bed, or the like, in the usual manner.

Preferably, the cover I l includes a top wall l4, front and rear walls l5 and I6, respectively, and end walls l1, all cooperating to partially enclose may be secured in assembled relation by a pair amanner similaritoetheiimaintuberecess 25.2: i

. and are in unobstructed communication with the latter throughtheir common open :ends.

A vertical partition 4I, extending'idownwardly from socket chamber top walll38,i:separates. the

upper portion of. the chambercinto. apair2of: com-.11;

'partments 42..and43'.:intrwhich,are disposed a pair of resilient metallic contact elements-"44.

lEach contactxelement 44.includes atoexportion 45 at its upper Jend,I.-engaged in a recess 46 in the socket chamber top 'wall'i38i adjacent then centralpartition'M. The lower-end d? of each contact element bears against'the adjacentsocket side wall 36 or 31. The intermediate'portion: of each contact element is'comprised ;by a .pair of a double reverse. loops, thexlo-we'r large-radiusi=loop,:i

48 extending inwardetowards' the central part1- tion 4 I and the upper small-radius loop 49 projecting outward from the 'compartment 42 through an. opening-l 'at the top'of the sidewall A U-shaped key member 52, of insulating material, is disposed with its'legsr53, (which-*taperin width towards their freefi'ends) *extending through the upper'1oops"40:ofthe contact ele- ..-ments=-44. zDue to'their'itapered construction, these legs 53 exert a wedgingaction' between the "outer sides of the socket'35 and'the bare terminal rportions54 of electrical'wires.55g-which terminal portions are disposed in the b'ends of the upper loops 49 :(Figs. 3 and 5). xAccordinglyythe key" :members'52'not cinlYserve-to'anchor' the metallic contact elements 44 with respect to: the socket 35, but also 'mayiprovide suitablerfoonnections between the contact elements andtheir iwires nections' be efiected by-"spot: welding, soldering, -BlJC.

The lower loops '48 may be *provided'with re- "entrant portions 50 "for irictionahretenti'on of the prongs P of the tubeT.

Inasmuch as thecover I I I," thetubef housing I '20, the sockets 35" 'and"the:keys"52 are all T0011- 'structed of insulating "material, 1 (for 'example, thermo-setting plastics f the only 'metallic" parts are the screws? 21," thecontact elements 44, and the 'wires' 54. Since theshade' ori't'ube housing and the sockets are formed ina single piece, as-by m'olding; assembly of the complete structure lisiextremely' simple. Obvioiislyjthe cover"II"is I not functionally esse'ntial" to the apparatus {its -54 -55, although it is preferred that such'.con-' 4 main use being to conceal the connections of the wires with the contact elements and to improve the general appearance of the device.

Referring now to Sheet Two of the drawings, in which there is illustrated a modified application of the present invention, the reference character I00 indicates, in its entirety, a fluorescent lamp and shade combination comprising a tube izT'having-the usual pair ofLcontact'prQngS P pro- -jecting axially=-beyond ariendthereof for engagement in a partial contact socket member -IOI of insulating material carried by a shade member-I02, likewise of insulating material, the Glatter forming one wall of a contact element chamber I03, formed in the partial contact socket .The contact element chamber I03 is defined by a circular side wall I04 having a throat openingI05-at the top thereof (Fig. 13). This throat extends vertically through a neck portion I00 com-prised by side walls I07 and the neck portion -I08 of.-an end wall I09 cooperating with the neck side walls I01 and the circularside wall :I04- of the chamber I03. 7

The side of the. chamber I'03 0ppositeto the walk-I69 is normally closed by the end wall III of theshade member I02 when the partial socket member I I01 is securecl-thereagainst by the bolt 2 and nut II3 (Figs. 9 and 11). --.-As clearly shown in Fig. 8, .the edge of the circular side wall vI04 which abuts the ends wall III of the shade -memberis curved,;as ati-I I 4, to conform to the curvature of said end wall.

When the partial socketmember-IM is separated from the shade end wall, the interior there- -.-of is-exposed, thereby rendering readily accessible .the'pair of metallic contact elements II6 housed in the'chamber I03.

A vertical partition ll'l dividesthe chamber I03 andthe throat I051into a pair oftcompartments I I8 and a pair of passagesI I 3,-respectivel-y. The. central portion. of the partition I l'l- -isenlarged, as at I2I, to provideapair of shoulders I22, limiting inward .movementof. the prongengaging portions I23 of themetallic contactelements II6',- and a pair of.---ledges: I24 cooperating with notches I26 thereabove-in .the partition to position the upper ,terminalportions of the metallic contact elements. The contact-elements are further positioned by'engagement of their intermediate shoulders I2'I with mating recesses I28 in the chamber sidewall" I 04.

Verticalslots -,I3I are provided through the partialsocket member end wall I09 and the-bottom portion ofthe circular sidewall: I04 for insertion and removal of the tube prongsii into andfrom engagement with the portions I23 of the? contact elements I I 6.

The pair of passages 'l I9- in the neckIll'I of the partial socket member receive; wires :-I 32" whose bare terminal portions l33 engage the-upperportions of the metallic "contact elements and are clamped thereby against'the:end'wa1l l'09 forming a, wall of the passages, in a manner totberhereinafter explained.

The-inner. "surface of-"the 'shaderend wall I I I'= is provided with a .central' 'vertiealrrib I-35siand a p'airiofside "VEItlCaIZTl'bSl I36 at opposite: sides of the central rib-a l 35 and of :greater height than the latter. As best showni ini' Fig.1l2; the upper portion ofitheparti-tioniiIl' in'the neckdtfi of the socket member is' of greater height thanl the --side 'walls 'i fil of the neck, with the reSuI't that the pair of side ribs I30 on the shade st'raddle the partition' I il and-b'ear' on" the neck 'sidewalls I0! and on the edges of the metallic contact elements II6, to urge the latter into clamping engagement with the bare terminal portions E33 of the wires I32. In Fig. 13, one side rib itfi is shown, by dot-dash lines, superimposed in its normal position with respect to the partial socket structure.

The edge of the circular side wall I04 extends beyond the corresponding edges of the neck side Walls I 01 the change in elevation being defined by shoulders I38 parallel to the outer sides of the pair of vertical ribs I36 (Fig. 13.) When the socket member I0! is assembled on the shade I02, these shoulders I38 abut the outer sides of the ribs I36 to position the partial socket member relative to the shade. The socket member is further positioned by engagement of the lowermost portion I 35a of the central rib I35 in a mating notch I40 in the edge of the bottom portion of the circular wall I04 (Figs. 8, 11 and 13) In Figs. 9 and 11, three projections I50 are shown on the neck portion I08 of the partial socket member end wall I99, these projections I 5!] functioning to position and retain a reflector member I5I, which may be of enameled metal or any suitable material having a light-reflecting surface at the lower or under side.

It will be apparent from the above description that this modification of the invention provides a one-part partial socket member normally closed by abutment against the shade member, .and accessible by removal of a single bolt. Also, as in the case of the first-described construction, means are incorporated for making novel electrical connections between thewires and the metallic conbottom and closed at the top, sides and ends by wall structure; a partial double-contact socket comprising a body of insulating material including a pair of opposed side walls, a bottom wall and an end wall with the two last-mentioned walls joining the opposed side walls, and a rib carried by the end wall and disposed intermediate the opposed side walls and defining therewith a pair of spaced grooves; a pair of metallic contact elements disposed one in each groove of said pair of spaced grooves for engagement by a pair of Contact prongs on an electric light bulb or tube when the latter is assembled in the shade; a pair of spaced ribs extending inwardl from an end wall of the shade for mating reception in the pair of spaced grooves in the partial socket body; and means for retaining the partial socket body and the bulb shade in the relation specified.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein the height of the pair of spaced ribs is less than the depth of the mating pair of spaced grooves, whereby space remains between the bottoms of said grooves and the tops of said ribs constituting passages for wires to provide electrical connections with the metallic contact elements.

3. Structure as specified in claim 1, including a third rib extending inwardly from the end wall of the bulb shade below the pair of spaced ribs for mating reception in a groove in the bottom wall of the partial socket body.

4. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein the bottom and end'walls of the partial socket body have a pair of openings therethrough for passage of the electric light bulb or tube contact prongs into engagement with the metallic contact elements within said partial socket body.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Ludwig June 8, 1943 Number 

